Hands Down
by StilloftheSilence
Summary: Percy and Annabeth share a moment before the battle on Olympus.


**Hey guys, I've got another song-inspired fic for ya! This one goes with Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional. Slightly AU because they kiss before the end of the war. **Hope you like it! ****

****Disclaimer: I don't own PJO OR Hands Down.****

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><p>Percy looked out over the balcony and took a deep breath, hoping he could suck in some luck from the air he shared with the city he loved and could possibly die trying to defend in the next few hours. The night was completely still. Everyone was asleep, and it was an eerie feeling looking over a motionless New York.<p>

The door behind him opened and he could feel a tangible change in atmosphere. Behind him, the plaza was filled with anxious demigods with racing hearts and fear-filled but brave minds. He trusted them, even though he knew that among them was a spy.

He took another deep breath, trying to rid himself of all the anxious feelings rolling around in his stomach, he had to be strong. With this breath he took in something different, he got a whiff of something soothing, vanilla maybe? He couldn't place it, but he knew who it belonged to.

"Hey."

He turned to find Annabeth standing there, still looking a little green from her injury, but ready to fight.

"Hey," he said, actually feeling relief that she had found him out here, she was a comfort to him when he was feeling like this.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried that he was out here beating himself up.

He hesitated, should he lie and tell her that everything is fine, that he has it all under control? He doesn't want her to worry. Or should he just tell her the truth? That he's scared, that he doesn't know if he can do this. He looks into her gray eyes and sees everything he's feeling; fear, caution, anxiousness, and determination, and he knows he has to tell her the truth, because she can see right through him anyway.

"Not really," he tells her, seeming to physically feel like he could collapse any second.

She softens, because she understands, because she knows him, and because she feels the same way. She walks over and slips her arms around him. Leaning her head on his chest, just being in his arms makes her feel better, even though the both of them are scared shitless right now, at least they have each other.

He's glad that she's here. He honestly doesn't know what he would do without her.

She looks up at him and and says, "It's okay."

And he knows, with those two little words, that it will be, that even though he doesn't have a clue in the world what this freaking prophecy means or how he is supposed to defeat Kronos, and that he's supposed to get his _soul reaped_ for gods sakes. But Annabeth is by his side, and that makes it okay.

He leans down and brushes his lips against hers, feeling their tangled emotions unite. She reaches up on her tip-toes to kiss him back, her fingers tangling in his messy hair that he has nervously run his fingers through himself countless times today. Her legs are smooth as they graze his, and he hopes with all his heart that they'll be fine.

He slides his arms around her, pulling her close, reveling in the feeling and hoping it's not the last. Her kiss is healing him, he feels all the bad stuff being pushed away to make room for the good, and in a small part of his mind he hopes that her kiss might kill him. At least then he would die happy, and not in some gruesome way, by the hand of a monster, or worse, Kronos himself. He would never have to have his soul reaped, he could die happy, in Annabeth's arms. But he knows that can't happen, the hours will pass, and they will have to fight.

Annabeth slides her hand to touch his new Achilles spot. Despite the fact that he wasn't supposed to tell anyone where it is, he's glad he told Annabeth. After all, she is the reason he has it. She is what he thought of when he was drowning in the River Styx, she is what is keeping him grounded to his mortal life. Without her, he'd be just another lost soul, floating in the river. When he jumped in that river, he gave himself over to her. His heart is hers, to do with it what she will. But if he had to pick anyone, he sure is glad he picked Annabeth.

He pulled away and rested his forehead on hers. Looking into her eyes, it's now or never, he could die today, and he'll feel better knowing that she knows how he feels.

"I love you."

A small smile graces her face and she kisses him, she strokes her hand over the small of his back and whispers: "I love you."

And they held each other, no more words were needed, in a matter of a few hours they would be fighting to save the world, so they just stayed in the silence. He liked just being near to her, and he wished with all his might that they could just freeze time and stay in this moment forever.

It's like they're in their own little world out there on that balcony. They're not a part of the sleeping Manhattans below, or the anxious demigods on the other side of that door. They are just Percy and Annabeth, and Percy hopes that he will live long enough to remember this moment forever.

And even though it is the most terrifying moment of his life so far, hands down, it it the best moment of his life, the best moment that he will always remember. He'll always remember the smell of her hair, the way it feels to run his hands through it. He'll always remember the way her lips feel against his, her steady, rhythmic breathing against his chest. He'll always remember the way her touch cured him, made all his bad feelings go away.

So he looked down at the girl he loved, and she kissed him like she _really_ meant it. And he knew, that she meant it.

This moment, in all it's simple beauty, bursting with love and hope, will give him the strength to fight. _This_ holds all that he needs to be strong. Love is all he needs to defeat Kronos. And Kronos will be sorry he picked a boy backed with so much love.

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><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


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